Improvement in apparatus and processes of ci



liair gaat GEORGE W. SYLVESTER, OF BELLEVILLE, NEW JERSEY.

LettersPatent No. 110,800, dated January 3,1871.

IMPRQV'EMENT IN APPARATUS AND FROCESSES -Olil-EANING OTTONWASTE, c.

The Schedule referredfto ln these Letten Patent and making pnt-o the lune'. .Y

To all whom it may concern Be it.. known that I, Gsonon W. SvLVasrnn, of Belleville, in the county of Essex and the State of New Jersey, have made a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus 'and Process for Treating Cotton and XVoolen Waste used in cleaning machinery and packing car journal-boxes, and in recovering and purifying the products from the same; and I hereby declare the following to be a full and exact description thereof, reference being to the accompanying drawing which forms part'of this specification.

The nature of my invention is toegeneratecotton or woolen waste used iu wiping machinery and packing car journal-boxes by apro'cess of washing. uslngas my'solveut washing-liquid the heavier dis' tillates of petroleum on, such as kerosene or paratline oil, or the distillates 'of vegetable-tar,suchl as spirit-s of turpcnline or camphene: also tol'cclaim all the oil taken up in the use ot' such-waste by its capilla'- rics, freeing 'said oil of its dirt, decolorizing,deoderizj ing, and purifying it.y

5 I am awarethat"various lmethodshave been used with the above purpose in view, butinfmy estimation they are defective. v Y

The use ot' alkalies and. soaps. but partially accomplish this purpose, inasmuch as it is only applicable to washing that class of wa'ste known as factory waste, and thc railroad It fails to answer the purpose in washing ear-box waste, as oftentimes the lubricating oils used therein resist the saponifying power of these alkalies or soaps; but should these alkalies or soapsact-npou the oil in the waste, then the ainountiused necessary to cleanse it would be so great that it would be a' serious bar to a profitable business.

The waste thus cleansed admits of `no oil being rocovered. The oil is lostin saponilication,aiul is ,rinscdaway in its sndscy mass.

, The use `of the'light hydrocarbons as a solvent ape proximates -lnorc closely tol the desired result, but

theyafre dangerous audvvasteful, andeach construction' for its use is defective when we conside; the science of washing. A

'Iofwasha fabric, it is first necessary to loosen the dirt by some solvent andthen rinse it out. r Those 'constructions 'making use of 'the light hydrocarbons contcinplatccleansing waste by only one imme'sion in the-solvent liquid. It is apparent that this n-ild only free' the wasto'ot 'the heavier por tions of oil or dirt, or as Vmuch as the solvent liquid would hold in suspension.

In thusfailing to completely cleanse the waste the cleanser fails to realize the greatest compensation for his labors, for discolored waste falls blow the waste used in wiping its pro-` peiling power.

market of white waste several cents per pound,V to say nothing of the oil remaining, which is valuable as a lnbricator.

and wasteful, inasmuch as they volatilize at a very low degree of temperature. Their` exceeding volatile nature make it imperative (if we. consult safety) that each and every vessel used should be perfect-ly tight.

AThis is simply impossible in the manipulation of washing, and its volatile portions being constantly passing olf, interxnix with the atmosphere, form a familiar-to all. v

It is wasteful on account ofits volaille nature. Im mense surfaces. of waste saturated with the'solvent must necessarily be exposed during the washing, and hence the evaporations must be in that proportion wasteful. 4

To obviate these objections, which appear to my tirely safe and a commercial success, and to enable those skilled in the art to alrejand use my invention, Iwill proceed to descrineits construction and operation.

I construct tubs, three or more in number, situated side by side, or so that the'process'A of washing and rinsing shall be consecutive. t

.In each of these tubs is a trame-work, its bottom and sides composed of coarse wire webbing. They. are divided into compartments` by partitions, but so as not to interrupt the free 'flow of the solvent liquid.

ttrame-work containing thewaste is now set in motion, passing back and forth through the solvent liquid. This movement is continued until the oil and dirt in the waste is softened and thoroughly dissolved into the liquid solvent. Y

0n each of the partitions which divide the tubs I place a pair of pressure-rollers, through which I pass the waste from tub to tub,pressi ng out the solvent in this instance from tub No. l to tub No'. 2.

as before.

heavyfsoiled waste, inasmuch as the solvent power of the solvent liquid therein is not fully exhausted.

After the waste placed in Nos. 1 and 2 have Areceived their appropriate agitation in the solvent liquid, No'. 2 is wrnng out, and, if found sucieutly cleansed, it is passed to the evaporator, which drivesolf any remaining solvent liquid remaining after the waste has passed The use of the light hydrocarbons is dangerousV highly explosive compound, the record of which is mind as radical faults, to render waste-washing en- )Into these separate receptacles the waste is loosely y placed and the solvent. liquid poured upon it. This' liquid and oil as it passes from 011e tub to the other, y

'Ihc frame-work inv tub No. 2 is exactly the same as tub No.1. y Its mot-ion is theusame, and is lrept up .I again charge tub `1\with another snpplyot fhrough the pressure-rollers. Ii it is not suiciently zleansed, it is placed in tub No. and rinsed in the mirent liquid again.

YVhen tub No. l Vhas disselved all the oil from the .ruste it is capable of holding in solution, then tub No. 2 is the tub to bc used for the first washing of mary-soiled waste, and thc remaining tubs as rinsngtnbs.

When the solvent pou er oi' tub N o. 2 is exhausted, :hen No. 3 is` the tub -to receive the iirst washings of ieavy-soiied waste, und Nos. 1 and .Z are rinsing-tubs, ind so on.

After the u'nstciswashed it is found to contain nore or less of the solvent liquid. To disengagethis E place it in a steamsilg'ht receptacle, where it is coiled in fresh water or over perforated steam-pipes surrounded by a steam-tight jacket.

The vapors of steam and the vapors of the solvent .vill pass over together and through a condensingzoil. The solvent being the lightest, it can be gathered by floating it oi from thc water in any rcceptzv.

xlc, which maybe placed under the condensing-coil 101 catching its ccndcnsaiicns.'

It is '.vell at this juncture to piace the waste in a insb-wheel commonly used in lanndries, andY revolve it there awhile in soapsuds.

After this process it should bethoroughly rinsed, 1nd always in boilingl or very hot water. This last yJrocess is sure to divest the waste of hue particles of inst which .may adhere to the liber.

After this process the waste is again wr'uug out ind place'd in a drying-room, when it is foundreitored to its original integrity and tit for its formcr .isc a am.

It is a well-known fact that -while 'in use the capil- .aries of the'ivaste take and hold a larger quantity of Jil. Inthe process oi'washiu in Ithe solventliquid this oil is takenv out and' li'eid issoived 1n to the solvent liquid. This is recovered from the solvent liquid by the `'ordinary process ci' distillation. The solvent iquid beingvery much the lightest, 4passes ofi', leaving behind the oiitakeu from the waste. ACare 'should be used not to overheat` the oil in dis- ;-illing o the solvent, for in that case it would injure :he lubricating qualities of the oil recovered from the waste.`

The best method to drive o the solvent liquid is Jy the use ot'a steam coil, inasmuch as the tempera- '.ures necessary t-o use are regulated by adding or dninisbingthcsteam pressure. 'After the solvent liquid is driven ol ii'orn the oil `ecovcred from the waste it can be again used in washing other waste, but the heavy oil reclaimed from- ',he waste is a dark, dirty, impure mass, and in that itats unfit for its usevas `a lubrlcator.

{Do-restore this, I rst pass tbe oil thronghany ilterlng medium, such as felt, marble-dust, or sand` nell washed to free it o its particlesof dirt. I then nacorate it with animal charcoal?? commonly known is boncblack, in 'a' peculiarly-devised apparatus.

In coming in` contact with the coalin this 'maceritor'ths oil `is puried, deodorized, and decolorized. it is puried ot'.` any rancidity,.whlch always occurs .vbeu tlie lubricator used is` either animal, vegerzttblgg, or fish oils,theso oils being in a transitory i a l `To accomplish this-result I construct from three :o six tanks in. number, and situate them 'sonthcy can Je workedseparate or together.

At a suitable `distance from the bottom I locate also-bottoms, perforated. 'Onthesc I place thick felt. [connect thebottom of cachofthese tanks under-- ieath the false bottoms ou bo h sides, with a line of )ipe to the suction of two pcm s, one situated at the ight of the apparatus, and ons situated Ato the left.

vNo

' I break the connection of each oi these tanks with the line of pipe bystop-cocks, so that one or more can be worked at option by either of the pumps.

From the discharge of these pumps I run a. line of pipe up and over the top of the macerators,lprovidinf,t eachwitha stop-cock outlet, so as to discharge into either of them. l

In these tau-ks I place animal charcoal.

and open the cock which connects its suction-pipe with a tank containicgoil to be treated. I their open thc cock on top of tank No. 1. I then start v the pump, and the impure oil 'passes into tank When the oil'appears as the bottom, I then close my'connection with the impure-oil taukandopeu cock at the bottom of tank No. 1. The oil is then` pumped irom the bottom to the top of tank No. 1, wherc it is allowed to stand to receive the action of the bone-black upon the oil.

When the oil v-is sutii-iently treated it is pumpcd olf into a reservoir provided for that purpose. Again tank No. l is charged with impure oil, with the same pump, opening the same inlets and outlets, and the same process of rotating the oil in the tank from bot tom gone through with as before. v

This time it will be found that the coal in tank No. 1 has parted with much oi' its purifying power, and'it will be found necessaryto pass the oil from tank No. 1 to tank No. 2. f

To do this' I staftthe pump situated at the right of the apparatus, opening the cock at the bottom of tank No. l, and open the cock in discharge-pipe of the same pump over tank No. 2.

While I am pumping the-oil from No. 1 to No. 2, thc impure-oil pumpcan b c started, and. tank No. 1 filled with oil to'be 'treated .while the oil 'partially treated is being pumped iuto tank No. 2.. This process is kept up, and impure oil is continually pumped into tank No. 1 until the clarifying power of the animal charcoal is found to be completely exhausted.

Then so found, tank No.' -2 is charged with im purc oil until its clarilyiiig power vis exhausted and the oil is passed on from tank to tank to receive its treatment as the necessities of the caseappear.

The object of this construction isfto obtain the .complete power of the animal-charcoal.. This can only be doneby repeated charges ofv fresh liquid When theconteuts of either of the tanks areexhausted they are dug out and vthe oil washed out of the bonclblack, for its capillaries absorb a large, amount. This is necessary, for the bono-.black canagain be re-used after having beenireburned.

' I wash the oil from the bone-blackin the following manner:

l construct a tank to hold beside it a still. 1

In the still I place a steam-coil. I then icharge the still with benzine, inasmuch as this apparatus can bo used entirely steam or benzine-tight'.

The benzine, coming in contact with the steamcoil, vapoiizes and ptr-:ses up and through a condensing coil, and down and through the coal, washing with it oil heldin the bone-black back into the still.` Now, as the benzine volatilizes .at ouedegreo `of heat, and the oil once in the bone-black, another, and much less, the benzine again vaporizes and passes through the condensing-coil, through the bone-black,

the coal, andsituatc and` back into the stili again', conveying `with it still another portion of oil; i

'lhis process is continued until the boneblack is thoroughly washed of heavy oil.

Now, benzine has taken the place of the heavy oil in the boneblack,*11 now pass steam through the black it vaporizes the benzine, which, together with I then start the pump situated at the left of the apparatus,

the steam, passes through thecondensin'g-coil, when it is collected;

1n the still we now have benzine and heavy oil.

'Now all-communicationwith the tank holding the coal iscut off, I turn" on steam through the coal in the still, and the benzine yaporizcs and leaves the heavy oil behind in the still.

The following description will enable any one to construct and use my invention.

Figure l is the washer, with three consecutive tubs or vats, as they are designed to be used. In each of the `three tubs the frame-workL-the-several divisions in them to hold the waste to be,cleaned, and ou the several partitions, the`pressnre-rollers designed to pass the wash throughas it is taken vfrom tub to tub.

Along the side of this apparatus will be seen a parallel sliding-bar orv rod, and fixed to it by a .movable `ioint is a hook hooked lto a crank-arm,`\vhich rocks a shaft which traverses each one of the several tubs. On this shaft are two tongues fitted into a' slot ob each side of the frame-work.`

The vparallel sliding-rod now being set in motion: by the crank motion A, it will be seen that'the frame# shows its various partitions and its surrounding net- 'Figure No. 3 is the apparatus into which the waste is placed after having passed through its washiugs and pressure rollers, to expel any remaining solvent liquid. It is simply a steam-tight D-shaped jacket, surrounding perforated pipes. At the end is a tub containing a. condensing-coil.

Into this receptacle, iig. 3, I placethe washed waste, admit steam to the perrorated pipes, and the steam, passing through these perforations, volatilizes the reg maining washing solvent in the waste, and it passes ovlrand is condensed with the steam .through the coi Figure No. 4 is the apparatus for deodoriziu g, decolorizing, and purifying the oil extracted from the waste after having distilled off the volatile solvent.

u sedvn the process of washing.' It represents six tankswith their pipe-connections, pumps,'and stopcocks for directing the inlet and outlet ofthe oil to be treated.

B G D ELF G are six tanks, composed of any suitable mctallicsulist-ance.

' -H is the impure-oil pump.

O is the'discharge-pipe-of H. This discharge-pipe isprovided with a stop-cock for discharging hito any one of the six tanks, but is not shown in the draw- I isthe treated-'oil pump;

M, its suction-pipe, withits stop-cocks K; and L, its discharge-pipe, with its stop-cocks J. Figure 5 is a view ofthe perforated false bottoms of fi". No. 4. Its bot-tom lilies of suction-pipe oi" I "igure dis'an-eud view of the apparatus. To workthis apparatus and treat the impure oil I rst' `charge these tanks with animal-charcoal; I then open stop-coclelin suction-pipe of pump H.

'-The oilis then' pumped up through O, through the stop-cock over B. It percolates through the bone.

charge-crei' B being open, 'the oil is rotated from the bottoni of B10 the top of B When I take the .oil from B` and place it in C, I

Yclose all connections with pump H, open stop-cock K keeping the cock K closed inthe bottom of B.

It is desirahleto again charge B with oil, inasmuch asthc purifying powerl of the coal would bev by no `means exhausted. This can befrepeated several times and the oil passed ontoA O and D, and 'so on, until the power of the coal to extract color or to purify is found to be gone.V -f

Figure 7 is the apparatus for washing the oil out of the bone-black taken up by-its capilliarles while. performing service -of purifying the oil. l

Figure 8 is the same apparatus, and as it appears in operation. v s

Figure 9 is a top view of the same apparatus.

Fig-7 is the apparatus cut through iiom top to. bottom. 'l

In- Q, I place the bone-black. It rests upon the perforated false bottoms'.

In T,I place the benzine.

Through the steam-coil U I pass steam.k The benzine is reduced to vapor, 'passes up throughv pipe S and is condensed, and in its liqnidstate passes down through the bone-black in Q down through the false bottom, vthrough V, back again into still T.;

' The oil washed outotl the bone-black by the pass-I age of the benzine through it is now in still T, and, being the heaviest, remains -there, while the benzine again passes over to be again condensed, and through the bone-black to washstjll '.niotiieipoi'tion of client.'

The operation of continued distillation of the bcnzine over upon the bone-blackis to be continued iin- .til no traces of heavy oil remain behind.

This is designated by a glass tube being inserted in V, and when the liquids pass back through the glass to still T colorless it is evident that the black is thor# oughly washed.

Communication between Q and T is now shut olf,

and steam is admitted to Q, and the benzinewhichhas taken the -place oi' the heavy oil-is driven. oi when the bone-blackis rca-dy for the re-bnruing process.

I have described three washing-tubs, but I do not limit myself to this number, nor to the form shown.

A The number may be increased or diminished and the form changed without'departing from the principle of my invention. I desire to be distinctly understood that successive washings or rinsiugs are necessary to give.V the best results,` and this constitutes one feature of my invention.

I havedescribed a D shaped retort to receive the waste after being washed, to expel any remaining volatile washing liquid.

Any iform, shape, or sine of vessel would answerthc same purpose so long as it employs thc principle of employing heat sufficient to expel the volatile solvent. I also have described six n iaeerating tanks,'but donot limit myself to this number, as theyY may alsobe increased'or diminished in numbers.

The object and design of this apparatus are to utilize the extreme and theavhole power of the bone-black to extra-ct coloranti purify, and to exert that influence upon the substance to be treated.

It is -an apparent fact that'the upper stratas of any filtering medium are exhausted rst, and become less exhausted as you descend through the filter, and it is only by taxing the lower stratas with fresh supplies vthat it yields 'up its power..

By repeating these fresn supplies at last the lowest letrta.- le reached, and only Ythen eau we say its .power to filter or .to extract; is gone.

l' Having thus described my invention,

- What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Iatent, isi 1. The apparatus herein' described for washing and cleansing cotton and woolen waste, composed of :t sexies of tanks or vessels, 4@o as to alternately immerse and wring or squeeze the material, as set forth. 2. Apparatus for expelling .the solvent, composed of a steam-tight jateket and perforated steam-pipes 3.' The process of cleaningrwaste by the application of hydrocarbons, 'such as bereindcscribed, applied substantially in the manner set forth.'

4. .lhe mucerators herein described, mimiged so asx l to purify the oil by filtration inthe manner described. v

5. The method described for purifying oilfrom waste `by maceratingor filtering with bone-bleek or its equivaient, as set forth.

.its set fol-tir. i

6.-, The4 apparatus described, for separating the heavy 4 oils froml theligllt solvents, consisting of the still 'I digester Q, steam-coil U, its connecting-passages or pipes'S and V,fand condensing-chamber R, armnged and operating substantially as described.

7, Thev combination of the following separate parts,

' -wbieln'constitute a complete. method, viz., successive washing and squeezing or wringing, the 'separating of the impurities from the mixed oils bymaceration and filtration, 'the sepnrationof the heavy oils front the ilteriug medium by solvents,A and' the tinal, eepl ration of these 'from the heavy oils,'all subsmnriully GEO. W." srnvesrnn;

Witnesses 

